Receptacle top adaptor construction

ABSTRACT

A waste receptable top preferably having a self-closing door and a rim flange for normally telescopically fitting over a mating receptacle body, said flange adapted to receive snap-on clips for fitting onto the rim of an open-top standard steel drum to mount the top thereon.

United States Patent 1 Brescia 1 RECEPTACLE TOP ADAPTOR CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Rubbermaid Commercial Products Inc., Winchester, Va.

[22] Filed: Nov. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 308,691

Anthony J Brescia, Winchester, Va.

[52] US. Cl. 220/55 K, 220/24 GC, 220/60 R,

292/19, 292/DIG. 38 [51] Int. Cl A47j 36/10, B65d 43/10, 1305c 7/00 [58] Field of Search 220/60 R, 59, 55 Y, 1 T,

220/55 K, 55 BD, 24.6 C; 24/73 P, 73 PF; 292/19, DIG. 38, 256.6, 256.63

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Freeman 220/60 R Mar. 26, 1974 3,270,911 9/1966 Sacks 220/55 K 3,503,643 3/1970 Alfaro 292/2566 3,015,869 1/1962 Rapata.... 292/2566 3,371,810 3/1968 Ludi 220/55 K FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,404,411 1965 France 220/55 BD Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Assistant Examiner-Allan N. Shoap Attorney, Agent, or Firm1-Iamilton, Renner and Kenner 5 7 ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures RECEPTACLE TOP ADAPTOR CONSTRUCTION I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION tightly over the open top of the receptacle. Such receptacles are used primarily for industrial and commercial purposes, and the covers preferably have self-closing doors for admitting waste material. However, it frequently happens that the user may wish to use standard size steel drums instead of the molded plastic receptacles for reasons of greater durability or economy or convenience. In such cases, the original drum top is not suitable as a removable top through which waste material is dropped into the drum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention 'to provide a waste receptacle top adaptor construction in which the top may be used with a mating receptacle or may be selectively used to fit the open end of a standard steel drum.

Another object is to provide a molded top construction which is easily converted for use as a top for a standard steel drum. v l A further object is to provide a novel snap-on clip construction which is easily attached to the rim flange of the molded top at spaced locations, and which snaps over and engages under the rim bead of a standard steel drum when the top is forced thereover to lock the top thereon.

A still further object is to provide a novel clip construction which is adapted to be used with a variety of top constructions to convert the top for use as a cover for a standard steel drum.

These and other objects are accomplished by the improvements comprising the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification. Various modifications and changes in details of construction are comprehended within the scopezof the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a waste receptacle dome top having a rim flange adapted selectively to fit a molded receptacle top or the end of a standard steel drum.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the novel snap-on clips.

FIG. 5 is afront elevation thereof. FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation thereof on line 7--7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing how one of the clips fits into the rim flange of the top. I

FIG. 9 is a similar view showing how the clip fits onto the rim bead of a standard steel drum when the rim flange of the top is pressed thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While the improved top adaptor construction is shown herein as applied to one form of molded dome top with a hinged door of the gravity closing type, it is to be understood that the invention is adapted for use with other receptacle tops having a circular rim flange for telescopically fitting over a mating receptacle body.

The molded dome top shown generally at 10 has a cylindrical rim flange 11 adapted for telescopically fitting over the upper open end of a molded receptacle body in a usual manner. The rim flange has a certain amount of resiliency allowing it to-resiliently engage the upper end of the receptacle body to make a tight fit. Interior reinforcing ribs 12 may be formed at intervals around the rim flange for engaging the upper end of the receptacle body. The molded dome top may be molded integrally with the rim flange 11 and be provided'at one side with a door opening 13 which is normally closed by an inner door 14 hinged at 15 and adapted to close by gravity. The molded top and door are preferably made of suitable plastic material.

At intervals, preferably of the rim flange 11 is provided with pairs of vertical slots 16 and immediately below each pair of slots is an inwardly extending horizontal supporting flange 17 having a medial notch 18 therein. Tapered reinforcing ribs 19 are provided under the ends of the flange 17 and a medial supporting rib 20 under the medial portion of the flange adjacent the notch.

One of the novel clips is shown generally at 22 in FIGS. 4 7, and is preferably molded of suitable semirigid plastic material having some resiliency and comprises a central vertical rectangular plate 23 from which two vertical legs 24 extend laterally forward in one direction and have wings 25 extending reversely from their outer ends. Two vertical legs 26 extend laterally rearward from plate 23 in the opposite direction from legs 24. The rear edges of the upper portions of legs 26 merge into the upper edge of a curved saddle flange 27 and below the flange 27 the rear edges of the lower portions of legs 26 have inclined cam edges 28 extending forwardly downward from the rearward edge of the saddle flange 27 to points below the bottom edge of plate 23. The lower inner portions of legs 26 have notches 29 extending rearwardly from the bottom edge of plate 23.

Each pair of slots 16 in rim flange 1 1 is adapted to receive the legs 24 of a clip and when pressed into the slots from the inside of the flange, as indicated in FIG. 8, the wings 25 will fold to allow insertion and then snap out over the outer side edges of the slots and lock the legs in the slots. In this position the curved upper edges 30 of legs 26 fit into the curved bend at the upper edge of flange l1 and the notched part of flange 17 fits into the notches 29 of the legs 26 under the bottom edge of plate 23 to support the clip from below.

When the top 10 is thus fitted with three of the clips 22 it may be applied to the upper open end of a standard steel drum 32 by pressing the rim flange downwardly over the rim bead 33 of the drum 32 so that the cam edges 28 of the clips slide over the bead and bend the rim flange 1 l of the top radially outward. After the saddle flange 27 passes below the bead it will snap under the bend to the position shown in FIG. 9 and lock the top in place. The top can be removed by pulling radially outward at one of the clips to spring the saddle flange upwardly over the bead.

The capacities of the receptacle body for which the top is designed and the standard steel drum on which the top is adapted to fit may not be the same, as long as the diameter of the rim flange is such that when the novel clips are snapped therein the top will fit the bead of a standard size steel drum.

It will be apparent that a simple and easily workable receptacle top adaptor construction is provided whereby the top is quickly converted from a top for a molded waste receptacle to a top functioning in the same manner for a standard size steel drum without the use of any tools and without changing the basic construction of the top.

I claim:

1. In combination, a receptacle cover having a rim flange nonnally adapted to fit telescopically over the open end of a mating receptacle, said flange having apertures at peripheral intervals, a plurality of adaptor clips having projections to snap fit into said apertures, said rim flange having clip supporting flanges adjacent said apertures, said clips having cam elements for for snapping over and engaging under the rim bead of a standard steel drum when the cover is pressed thereon, and said clip supporting flanges extending inwardly below said apertures and under said clips.

2. In combination, a receptacle cover as described in claim 1, in which the clip projections have retainer wings for locking said projections in said apertures. 

1. tIn combination, a receptacle cover having a rim flange normally adapted to fit telescopically over the open end of a mating receptacle, said flange having apertures at peripheral intervals, a plurality of adaptor clips having projections to snap fit into said apertures, said rim flange having clip supporting flanges adjacent said apertures, said clips having cam elements for for snapping over and engaging under the rim bead of a standard steel drum when the cover is pressed thereon, and said clip supporting flanges extending inwardly below said apertures and under said clips.
 2. In combination, a receptacle cover as described in claim 1, in which the clip projections have retainer wings for locking said projections in said apertures. 